Adventures in social research: data analysis using IBM SPSS statistics

Part I. Preparing for data analysis. Introduction: the theory and practice of social research

The logic of measurement

Description of data sets: the general social survey

Part II. Univariate analysis. Using SPSS statistics: some basics

Describing your data : religiosity

Presenting your data in graphic form: political orientations

Recoding your data: religiosity and political orientations

Creating composite measures: exploring attitudes toward abortion in more depth

Suggestions for further analysis

Part III. Bivariate analysis. Examining the sources of religiosity

Political orientations as cause and effect

What causes different attitudes toward abortion?

Measures of association for nominal and ordinal variables

Correlation and regression analysis

Tests of significance

Suggestions for further Bivariate analyses

Part IV. Multivariate analysis. Multiple causation: examining religiosity in greater depth

Dissecting the political factor

A powerful prediction of attitudes toward abortion

Suggestions for further multivariate analyses

Part V. The adventure continues. Designing and executing your own survey

Further opportunities for social research

Appendix A: The codebook

Appendix B: Questionnaire for class survey.